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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26909773">For the Greater Good</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDumbestAvenger/pseuds/TheDumbestAvenger'>TheDumbestAvenger</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Drugged Peter Parker, Drugged Tony Stark, Gen, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, Kidnapped Peter Parker, Kidnapped Tony Stark, Peter Parker Whump, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Whump, Whumptober 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 00:07:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,457</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26909773</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDumbestAvenger/pseuds/TheDumbestAvenger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Pete,” Tony tried again, a little louder this time. “Come on, I need you to wake up.” Still nothing. His brief jolt of adrenaline beginning to wear off and give way to the pounding once again. “Urgh,” he moaned, “I hate you for making me do this."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Drugged, captured, and locked in a dingy room, Tony fights to escape and keep Peter safe in the process</p>
<p>Whumptober Challenge<br/>Day 9 - For the Greater Good - "Take me Instead" | "Run!"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946023</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>149</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>For the Greater Good</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Day 9!</p>
<p>Y'all really seemed to enjoy yesterday's fic, thanks to everyone who kudosed/commented! That's very awesome of you! :D</p>
<p>*Warnings*<br/>Mentions of drug use | Kidnapping</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tony woke slowly, his head pounding like it used to the morning after Rhodey dragged him home from a college party. He hadn’t been to a party, right? The last thing he remembered was working in the lab with Peter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Forcing himself to open his eyes - and silently thankful for the almost pitch black - Tony investigated the room. The wall in front of him looked to be carved from stone, ragged and shimmering with water, and so close he could probably reach out and touch it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His shoulder muscles screamed out in pain as Tony tried to move his arms. They jerked to a sudden stop as a clang resounded around the small room. The sound echoed inside Tony’s skull, bringing him close to throwing up. He swallowed hard and looked down at his wrists.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A metal cuff cut into his wrist, the skin around it rubbed raw where he’d tried to move. The other end of the cuff was connected to the arm of a chair, further inspection showed the chair was bolted down. Tony groaned. He was not in the mood to be held hostage, not today. Not when he should have been spending time with-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh shit. Peter!” Tony, sobered up at the thought. He whirled his head to the side so fast he was surprised he didn’t get whiplash. Next to him sat an identical chair with the small frame of Peter sitting atop it. “Kid,” Tony called. He gained no response.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter, too, was cuffed to his chair. His shoulders slumped forward and head lolled down, chin resting against his chest. He looked almost peaceful, had it not been for the dingy surroundings and restraints.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pete,” Tony tried again, a little louder this time. “Come on, I need you to wake up.” Still nothing. His brief jolt of adrenaline beginning to wear off and give way to the pounding once again. “Urgh,” he moaned, “I hate you for making me do this.” Tony stretched his foot towards Peter’s, hoping to nudge him awake. If only he could reach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony inched his foot closer, shuffling his butt forward in the chair and fighting against the shackles clamped around his wrists so he had a better angle. Still, a couple of inches laid between the pair. Tony hunched over, whatever drugs their captor had used were doing a real number on his head, even the small movement felt like somebody juggling knives inside his head. “Oh, kid,” he whispered. “I’m going to regret this in a minute.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He braced his back against the corner of his chair and thrashed his foot out as hard as possible. It hit Peter’s shin, the effort just about enough to tip Tony over the edge. He doubled over as his head swam and every muscle in his body howled in pain. “Urghhh…” the sound left his mouth of its own accord as Tony drifted to the edge of consciousness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another groan joined his own, though Tony didn’t have the energy to do anything bar stay awake. “Mis’er Stark-” Peter mumbled, sounding a mixture of drunk and terrified.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony mustered the remains of his strength to reply. “Gonna need a moment here, kid.” Each syllable drilled into his brain, but the silence after was deafening. He lifted his head slightly, bile rising in the back of his throat, to look at Peter. He hadn’t moved, Tony wondered if he’d imagined him talk. “Kid?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shhhh,” Peter slurred, his head rolling to one side. “Loud.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right,” Tony dropped his voice to the quietest whisper he could manage, “of course.” Peter seemed to be faring worse than Tony, and that was saying something. Then again, Tony had his partying days to rely on, he’d gotten pretty good at working through a hangover. He gave Peter a moment to gather his bearings before speaking again. “Kid, I need you to open your eyes so we can get outta here.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mm-hm.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pete, I’m serious. You can do it, come on.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Slowly, Peter raised his head and peeled open his eyes. “Wha-” He looked around, wide-eyed, as he took in the unfamiliar scene. “Where are we?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter’s question came out as a single slurred syllable, it took Tony a moment to decipher what he’d asked. “I don’t know, kid.” He made sure to keep his voice low. “But we gotta get out. These cuffs aren’t vibranium, so I need you do break them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter met Tony’s gaze with his own half-closed, unfocused eyes. “But it’s gonna be so loud.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It will. But then it’ll be over.” Tony’s heartbeat picked up, the longer Peter stalled, the more chance of their captor returning before they had a chance to escape. He kept his gaze firm. “You can do, Pete.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” Peter nodded once, then screwed his face up from the movement. “Can’t-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, you can.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter groaned again, but raised his arms as high as the shackles would allow. For a brief moment - and judging by the face Peter made - Tony feared he would give up and let his arms fall back. But this was Peter, the kid who’d rather risk his life in a onesie on a plane than give up. He tensed his arms, and ripped them apart, shattering the shackles and pressing his hands to his ears as chunks clattered to the stone floor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s great, Pete, you’re doing so well. Now mine, and we can go.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t wanna,” Peter muttered. He curled up in the chair, hugging his knees to his chest. “Wanna sleep.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can sleep when we get out, kid,” Tony said frantically, his heartbeat hammering in his chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Promise?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s a promise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M-kay.” Peter rose to his feet, swaying and stumbling as he walked the few steps to Tony’s chair. He knelt and wrapped his unsteady hands on the chains at Tony’s wrists and broke them with ease.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The second he was freed, Tony slipped to his knees and scooped Peter into his arms. “You did so good, buddy. So good,” he mumbled into Peter’s shoulder as the kid practically collapsed into him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I sleep now?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not yet, we need to get out first. Remember?” Tony rubbed circles on Peter’s back, trying to balance on the knife-edge that was keeping Peter calm, but not so calm he gave in to sleep. “Can you walk?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter shook his head against Tony’s chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well that wasn’t really the answer I was looking for.” Tony slide his arm under Peter’s shoulder and carefully lifted him to his feet. “Lean on me, I’ve got you.” He ignored the part of him that wanted to bring up last nights dinner and half dragged, half carried Peter over to the old, wooden door. Reaching out with his free and, he took hold of the handle. “Bets on this working?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zero,” Peter muttered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony smiled, Peter wasn’t completely out of it, at least. “I must say I’m in agreement.” Still, he tried to handle. Neither were surprised when the door didn’t open. Tony glanced across at Peter - who’s head rested against his shoulder, eyes fluttering as he fought to keep them open - he was in no state to kick the door down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“S’alright, I can do-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Tony cut Peter off. Keeping the kid conscious was more important. “I’ll do it. I mean, it looks like a light breeze would knock this thing over.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mister Stark-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve got this,” Tony assured. He eyed up the door, looking for the weakest, most rotten panel he could find, braced himself, and kicked it with all his strength. The door clattered to the floor, a cloud of dust rising around where it lay. Tony nearly fell backwards, but Peter stabilised them at the last moment. “Thanks, kid.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No problem.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You ready to go?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait,” Peter lent into Tony’s side, clinging to his shirt as sweat covered his brow. “Just one minute.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay.” Truthfully, Tony didn’t want to wait. Their captor could easily have heard the door hitting the floor and come running, but leaving would be no use if Peter - or him, for that matter - succumbed halfway out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The wait went by painstakingly slowly, but eventually Peter was ready to move again and they made their way out of the room. They found themselves in a long corridor, much the same in design as their little room, only lights lit their way to freedom. Trying to move was incredibly awkward, not just from the way their limbs tangled together in attempt to keep each other upright, but each step sent a shudder all the way up Tony’s spine.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, they reached the end of the corridor, only to be faced with another, even longer one. Tony sighed, and started on his way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait,” Peter said, “I can walk by myself.” He straightened up and untangled himself from Tony’s arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure?” Tony asked, the space at his side suddenly feeling incredibly cold.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter nodded. “Yeah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then let’s go.” Tony led the way, Peter walking half a step behind him. The ground beneath their feet sloped upwards, slowing their progress even further, but they trudged on. Tony wished they could fall into their regular banter, but in truth, he was too focused on putting one foot in front of the other to talk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They passed various passages and doorways, each one looking near identical. Tony chose to keep on their current path, assuming the incline signalled freedom. He stopped even bothering to look down them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That turned out to be a mistake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A scuffle sounded behind him, Tony whipped around just in time to see someone leap out from a tunnel and grab Peter. The kid barely had time to react before a knife was pressed to his neck, drawing out a drop of blood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony held his hands up in surrender. “Let’s not do anything too hasty, here.” The warning was aimed at Peter as much as the captor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You mean like capture a billionaire and their intern?” The captor said from under the hood of a long trench coat. Her voice a little too wobbly to be entirely confident.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That would be an example, yes.” Tony took a step forward, trying to close the gap between them. She only took a step back, pulling Peter with her. Tony met the kid’s eyes, trying to communicate for him to stay put. Neither of them could exactly put up a good fight in their current state, they’d need the element of surprise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t look at him,” she snapped. “Don’t go planning anything or I’ll do it. I will.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It sounded as though she were trying to convince herself, maybe she could be reasoned with. “But you don’t want to, right? Else you already would have.” She didn’t respond. “What do you want, money? I can get you money.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t pretend. If I let you go you’ll send the Avengers, not an envelope stuffed with cash.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually, I’d send a cheque.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop it! Stop making jokes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony kept his mouth shut. A feeling of grief washed over him, they were so close to the exit that he could almost taste fresh air, not this damp, musky cave shit he’d been breathing for god knows how long. It reminded him of Afghanistan. The same smell and vague feeling that you’d never really be clean again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re going back to that damn room, or I’ll slash this twerp’s throat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony didn’t take well to threats, never had - see: The Mandarin. He didn’t move, only just fought the urge to joke about the lack of door. The captor pressed the knife harder, a trickle of blood slipping over the edge as Peter whimpered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait!” Tony blurted, eyes frantically dotting between the pair and hands raised, palms out. “T-Take me instead. Let the kid go, and I’ll come with you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No-” Peter yelled, only for it to turn into a strangled gargle as the captor tightened her grip.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She appeared to mull the idea over or a moment, but her face remained shrouded by the hood so Tony couldn’t be sure. He stayed quiet, avoiding Peter’s eyes, and prayed she’d take up her offer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sprinkling of dust fell from the ceiling between them, and before Tony knew it, the whole thing came down. Blinding light flooded the tunnel, catching all the inhabitants off-guard, and something heavy fell through the hole.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tones?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony opened his eyes, squinting against the light, just in time to catch a small, flat-ish object being thrown his way. He looked in confusion at the nano-housing unit in his hands, then up at the figure standing at the centre of the beam of light like some goddamn angel sent from heaven.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Rhodey?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Talk about the element of surprise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter took the opportunity to free himself from the captor’s grasp - she was too preoccupied with Rhodey’s hand levelled at her chest to care - and scrambled to Tony’s side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kid, go!” He ordered, gesturing up the tunnel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony held up the nano-housing unit. “I’ve got this. Go, run!” Peter hesitated, before pelting up the tunnel, still looking a little drunk. Tony turned back to Rhodey and their captor. She ran forwards, clearly looking for an escape. Tony pressed the housing unit to his chest, prepared to fight, but Rhodey took her down first with a swift blast from the repulsor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tones.” He hurried over, faceplate open, and searched Tony’s eyes worriedly. Only then did Tony realise he must look as high as Peter. “What the hell? Are you okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Tony tried to smile. “Yeah, I’m good. It’s nothing compared to college.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah well, I scooped your ass out of far too many gutters to describe college you as ‘good’.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is a cave a step up or down from a gutter?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rhodey didn’t answer, instead locking his arms firmly around Tony. “I’m glad we found you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony chuckled. “Yeah, me too you big softie. I’ve only been gone, what, a few hours?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony,” Rhodey stepped back, his brow furrowed. “It’s been two days.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” That was all Tony could manage, momentarily shocked. Though it explained why they felt so bad. “Not my longest drug-infused nap.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, you’ve been out of it this whole time?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony nodded, “Just woke up. The kid broke us out, then you came in through the ceiling. Bit over the top, by the way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Rogers wanted to enter through one of the side tunnels, but Friday’s scan showed Pete in trouble so I made an executive decision.” He squeezed Tony’s shoulder and started up the tunnel. “Cho’s on standby, we’ll get you both checked over as soon as we’re back at the compound.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You bring the Quinjet?” Rhodey nodded. Tony chuckled. “This is all eerily familiar to our previous soiree. Guess I’m riding with you after all.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!</p>
<p>Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated, and if you wanted to come scream at me, my tumblr is thedumbestavenger :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
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